New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-04-24
THE FIRST FAMILIES.
COATS OF ARMS AND THEIR BEARERS.

Anna Crests Notices OF Prominent AHorioan
Families settled in this Country before 1900 Edited
Large Alto, PIP. 1872 Brentano Brothers
The volume now before MS is published with
all the splendor which its sumptuous subject de-
serves The august text displays itself Of largo
upon q thick and ample page, and the
Illustrations of coats Of arms, about two hundred
and seventy in number are blazoned In the most
glowing colors allowed by the College OF Heraids.
II il not every Nation which can show such ro'i
Of its aristocracy. And fortunately Mr.. E. dc "
Vermont is equalto theresponsibilities thrust upon
him by the editorship OF such q catalogue lie ex-
patiates with proper solemnity upon the import
ance Of hereditary social arlsocracy. even-perhaps
we NAV say especialy-in q democratic country
like ours and upon the duty OF those
who are really entitled to heradic devices to guard
their privileges jealously Let There be equaiity
before the law. of course; but In social lie, NO
there we must have "imperous classification"
The danger in the use of coats OF arms is not OF
d,.creditinp republican institutions. II is OF fall
sifylng family history by the assumption OF such
badges Of gentility by the nouredur rtch"
and Other Objectionable persona 1t Is
melancholy fact that in America thousands
| of armorial devices are used without twinge
of conscience by families with absolutely no riRht
to bear any coat OF arms, and knowing tho faot 10
he such' There are heraldry shops at which any
| body can be grated upon any desired family tree
| and furnished with q scutcheon, crest MOTTO
| and all complete even though his emigrant fore
| father may have been of humble. nay. OF menlal
origin. In the old countries there are Heraids
Offices. and similar institutions armed
| with authority TO punish any wrongful assump-
| t,on of coat armor. In our country, public
opinion "as yet but imperfectly enlightened on
the subject is perhaps not ready for this judcious
remedy : and il only remains therefore for Impair
| tial studious, and high-miDded experts '" TO pass
Judgment upon the bogus gentlefolks by exhibiting
"under the glaring and unrelen ting light Of public
! onmionp n list OF tho true first families, in which
| these pushing intruders will not BIO found. For
| tunately whio we arc waiting Tor puoiio
| opinion to become sufficiently enligntened
| to camor for the establishment OF
| Herald's Office with penal jurisdiction. we nave
one of those impartial, studious and hiQh-minded
EXPERTS 10 whom as Mr. l.. de V. Vermont says we
must look as the savior of society. Need we ado
that in this description Mr. E. de " Vermont refers
| 10 himself
We have then In the present book OF the elect
complete and final" list of the American families
emerated before 1900 who have an ancestral right
70 a coat Of arms. Tho last Judgment has
been pronounced. Those who are not
already enrolled in the book OF lie
| arc damned for all eternity. There IS 10
be no breaking into paradise hereafter ana inc
outside multitude will surprised to learn tha'
tho number admitted by Mr.. L. do " Vermont
among the first families is only four hundred ana
twenty. That Is very fow for q nation OF hlty
millions-wh ich shows what nice persons the mem
hers of tho first families must DO. Mt. h. do "
Vermont finds Thorn among Cavaliers aud Purltans
Knickcrbockers and Hugucnots; and he points
with pride 70 the use OF coat armor by Washing
ton and other fathers OF the State az PROOF tha'
reverence for such matters deeply planted In the
uoblest bosomA Undoubtedly Washington Ne
longod to the gentry, but his best general, Greene
would have been among f. do V. VermoDt5 social
outcasts; Franklin was workingman anu In'
son Of soap boiler Samuel Adams was m uhsuc-
oessfnl trader; John Adams has been wittilY de-
scribed as n sef-made aristocrat. in fact precisely
one of the impudent intruders Tho bulk OF the
Huguenot emigration was not In good society
Most of the Knckerbockers were Indian
traders and small shOpkeepers, who bartered run
for beayerskns with the red men and SOLD groceries
md tallow candles by the ponnys worth 10 tue ,a
burgbers of New-Amsterdam. IL cavalier look'
closely Into his ancestry. although he may IKE tn'
family IL Is doubtful whether he Will ma much tc
DO proud OF In the particular member OF IL WIZ
brought the name and the coat of arms TO America
for 1t was mostly their ne'er-do-wells whom LII
aristocracy sent TO the plantations
! After all the forty millions and odd wh'
are not in the book may ask what constitutes
right 10 armoria bearings In country where Iher'
il no authority to give or withhold them, an'
where the service which they symbolic and th'
8 rank which they denote have no existence ih'
privilege of bearing arms is royal grant, TO whci
Z nobody outside the realm need pay any respect
and IL an American citizen see fit to set up duca
D coronet on his carriage door all tho kingsat-Arm
in England have no business TO stop him. Neithe
ia the free born democrat bound to observe III
o laws Of heraldry II he docs not like them Inc
n are nothing TO him, for he out
: the jurisdiction. As our Goyernment do'
s not las yet recognize property IN coa''
o of-arms, IL cannot make much dlHereho
r whether candidate for the fist crcl
derives his coat armor from a man or womal
h from his stcpfather's first wlfe's previous hu
d band or the second cousin of his greataunt'
4 follows the example OF the late William M lwee
$ who, having ordered ut n heraldry shop somc1mn
II neat and appropriate, was promptly supplied VIII
l. the armorial bearings OF the Marquis OF Tweed
|, dale which he to the penitentiary' AN
II for the comfort OF those asprants who still cir
o to their cress, although they are not OF the lol
d hundred and twenty, and who believe that the
10 il some magic virtue in heraldic badges, we a
glad to be able to say that in making out his lii
o of families Mr. H. de " Vermont Is not so rut
less as to specify the existing branches which al
l. or not entitled TO use the arms There are Brow
n on the roll and Smiths, and JoneSes, and man
y other common names, and there is nothing TO pr
10 vent any OF the thousands OF bearers OF tho
X patroDymics from afliating themselves TO u
l. armorbearing ancestor commemorated In IN
y volume, and then trotting away, happy and Ell
u blazoned.